Ravensblood Forest The one that will occasionally openly steal babies

merrick’s head had begun to pound with glee as still more time passed and no one came to fetch the child, who had engrossed himself even more fully into the world of invertebrates upon the forest floor.
he padded noiselessly after the boy, noting the dark fur, similar to his own. perhaps — perhaps he might pretend this was some younger aspect of himself. mind latching to the idea as soon as it had erupted in the fetid soil of his mind, the coywolf licked his excitement-dry jaws and paused as the pup lifted his head with a sudden awareness filling his sharpening gaze.
should he reveal himself now, risk frightening the boy, risk losing him in the tangle of underbrush more easily navigable by a smaller body? isi. what was that? a name? some childish babble? 
merrick backed into the darker recesses of a nearby tree, suddenly at a loss for what to do, how he might use all his cunning in this moment. 
”what is an isi?” merrick settled on, attempting to make the deepening tones of his voice vividly fill the space between them. but he was no actor; there was little hiding the ragged edge of excitement beneath his inquiry.